{{Short description|British jazz double-bassist (1937–2021)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Len Skeat | image = Len_Skeat_at_Upwell_Jazz_Club_-_Feb_2020.jpg | caption = Len Skeat at Upwell Jazz Club, 2020 | image_size = | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_name = Leonard Skeat | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1937|2|9}} | birth_place = East London, England | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|3|9|1937|2|9|df=y}} | genre = Jazz | occupation = Musician | instrument = Double bass | years_active = 1960s–2021 }}
'''Leonard Skeat''' (9 February 1937 – 9 March 2021) was a British<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://londonjazznews.com/2021/03/09/rip-len-skeat-1937-2021/|title=RIP Len Skeat (1937 -2021)|website=Londonjazznews.com|date=9 March 2021|access-date=12 March 2021}}</ref> jazz double-bassist, and the younger brother of Bill Skeat, a saxophone player (1926–1999).<ref name="Larkin50">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|page=400}}</ref><ref>[https://www.jazzsteps.co.uk/view_artist.php?id=201 Len Skeat Musical Biography] ''Jazzsteps.co.uk''. Retrieved 29 May 2020.</ref>
==Biography== He was born in East End of London, and worked with the Ted Heath band.<ref name="Larkin50"/> During the 1970s, he was in demand and almost resident at the Pizza Express Jazz Club,<ref name="Larkin50"/> and Pizza on the Park Jazz Club (closed 2010) in London. He was a member of the band, Velvet.<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/len-skeat-mn0000682743 Len Skeat Biography], ''AllMusic''. Retrieved 29 May 2020.</ref>
Skeat recorded with Mel Tormé, Ben Webster, Billy Eckstine, Lionel Hampton, Scott Hamilton, Helen Merrill, Lou Rawls, Harry Edison, Denny Wright, Digby Fairweather, Spike Robinson, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Stéphane Grappelli,<ref name="rough">{{cite book |last1=Carr |first1=Ian |last2=Fairweather |first2=Digby |last3=Priestley |first3=Brian |title=The Rough Guide to Jazz |year=2004 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=978-1-84353-256-9 |edition=3rd |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetojazz00carr }}</ref> Dick Morrissey, Bill Watrous, Randy Sandke, and Russian Gregory Fine. He was also a member of the Eddie Thompson Trio and Charly Antolini's Jazz Power.
==Discography== '''With Charly Antolini''' * 1989 ''Cookin''' (L+R) * 1990 ''Charly Antolini Meets Dick Morrissey'' * 1993 ''Right-On'' (Bell)
'''With Bud Freeman''' * 1980 ''The Dolphin Has A Message''
'''With Spike Robinson''' * 1984 ''Spike Robinson-Eddie Thompson Trip/At Chesters Volumes 1 & 2'' (Hep) * 1986 ''In Town with Elaine Delmar'' (Hep) * 1987 ''The Gershwin Collection'' (Hep)
'''With Bill Watrous''' * 1982 ''Bill Watrous in London'' '''With Gregory Fine'''
* 1999 ''Gregory Fine Trio: «[https://www.discogs.com/ru/release/21284224-Gregory-Fine-Trio-Happy-Bluesday?srsltid=AfmBOoruecWU-Aap5SQQenMwBscUXsPCrRs1Wt5QuphVbcKwxiK9L_ZH Happy Bluesday]»'' * 2000 ''Gregory Fine Trio: «[https://disco.market/discographies/release/21306523-waltz-for-you-2009/ Waltz For You]»'' * 2001 ''Gregory Fine Quartet: «[https://www.discogs.com/release/15675038-Gregory-Fine-Quartet-Fine-Plays-Fine Fine Plays Fine]»''
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Discogs artist|Len Skeat}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Skeat, Len}} Category:1937 births Category:2021 deaths Category:English jazz double-bassists Category:British male double-bassists Category:English male jazz musicians Category:20th-century British double-bassists Category:21st-century British double-bassists Category:20th-century English male musicians Category:21st-century English male musicians Category:Musicians from London